I Don’t Hate Macs, I Just Hate Mac Users

Ok, before I dig into the substance of this post, I’d like to preface it with an explanation of the title. I don’t really hate anyone. Hatred is an awful thing. When I say “hate,” I mean it in a casual, chatting-over-lunch sort of way. Like when we say “I hate the Red Sox.” It doesn’t mean you wish to kill them all (though you may say that as well). It just means you, well, hate them. It’s like…Hate Lite. Now on to the substance of this post…

I consider myself a tinkerer. I enjoy opening up a PC box and just messing around. I’m into the intricacies of the different components and how they can be tweaked and optimized and customized. Hell, there’s a whole subculture of PC modding out there. I mean, who wouldn’t want to trick out there PC case with neon lighting and water cooling? Yeh, I subscribe to Maximum PC. What’s wrong with that? In fact, I think there’s a lot right with it. The willingness to crack open your “rig”and replace the hard drive controller is a virtue. There’s something inherently endearing about someone willing to roll up their sleeves and work on something.

Yes, I know it’s not for everyone. Sure, you can hire someone to do it. Of course you can just buy a custom PC with all the bells and whistles. The hardcore techies of the world scoff at the masses that brush this sort of stuff aside. “They don’t understand us. We will make them pay handsomely for their ignorance.” They are the Left Brain.

At the other extreme is the bratty computer user. They simply can’t be bothered with such details. They don’t have time (or better yet, their time is too valuable to be wasted on such trivialities). They have…more important things to do. As such, they “love” and “adore” their Macs. Because admittedly, Macs are inherently better designed. From hardware to software, things just seem to work. As a designer, I often reference Apple for their unwavering belief in the power of good design. It really is the differentiator.

It’s a great thing when you can design products that make your users feel good about themselves. Good design is inherently complimentary, subtly flattering the user as he interacts. People wonder why there is such rabid loyalty towards Apple. This is why. Apple has spoiled them. They’ve been treated with such dignity and high regard that their collective self-esteem has been inflated beyond belief.

So now the rest of us (your humble blogger included) are left to hear their ramblings about how great Apple products are. How much they love their Macs and iPods. And how lame it is for us to have to worry about things like PCI slots and firmware. The Mac population’s view of the PC user base is nothing short of elitist. All those hugs and support growing have led them to snarl at the “lower class” PC users of the world.

The misunderstanding arises from the fact PC users actually like defragmenting their hard drives and upgrading their firmware. We enjoy replacing our graphics cards every six months. We love TweakUI! We share a firm belief that our struggle in this world will lead us to heaven. You Mac users, on the other hand, are on your way to hell. A weird, glossy white plastic hell.

So there you have it. Mac users are the bourgeoisie of the computing world. PC users are the lowly, struggling proletariat, harboring bitterness and resentment towards their snooty counterparts while they toil away at their machines.

100 Comments →I Don’t Hate Macs, I Just Hate Mac Users

Some PC users may love to tinker with their machines.
But, the particular subclass of Mac users that I belong to would much rather tinker with their software.
Tinkering with your software on a Mac rarely destroys the thing, so we can muck around without the rush of sudden death looming over our head.
You kids might have TweakUI, but we have lovely things like Quicksilver, TextMate and inputManagers. Most Linux stuff is portable over to Mac now, being a modified BSD. It’s fun times with software.
Personally, I love the fact that I don’t ever have to worry about the gritty innards of my machine, it just works. My 6 year old iMac DV 400mhz still chugs along fine (I did upgrade the HD & Ram).
And, yes… We are extremely elitist. :P
It would be nice to be ABLE to tinker with the innards, I’m just happy that I don’t HAVE to.

I consider myself a utilitarian computer user. When I need my computer to work, I want it to work. I don’t want to have to defragment it first, or run adware/spyware blocker. I just want it to work so I can get on with other things not related to work.
That’s why I love my Mac, because it allows me to not work.
I appreciat that you like to work on you computer, rather than work with it. But I wouldn’t buy a car from my next door neighbor who builds cars as a hobby. I buy the best car I can for the money I have from a reputable dealer whose cars work when they’re supposed to work.
Would you still buy a car it “worked” like a PC?

So I am an admin and had been working with Windows and Unix stuff for long. Then we get a Mac (OsX). Having heard so much about the glory of Mac from our end users in printing industry, we expectantly switch it on and try it out.
My only reaction was laughter and incredulity. Like Duh!!!!

Fair enough. I love my Mac, but I am not a tinkerer. My friend Garth, on the other hand, built his PC from the ground up and was nearly driven batty when his brand-new iPod crashed for the first time and there was virtually no documentation, or bits to open up and examine, to help him out.
As for the person who said this: “Would you still buy a car it “worked” like a PC?” Well, I wouldn’t, I don’t know about you, but certainly a lot of people do. People buy used cars and mess around with them all the time. Right?

As a graphic design student I am led increasingly more frustrated by the fact that Mac’s “just work”. They don’t.
I really think that it’s a lifestyle thing. Sure, if I want to *just* check my e-mail, browse the web, and run photoshop to touch up a few family photos, that’s fine… but I don’t.
I just love storing my data in protected or otherwise difficult formats. I love how I can let windows users into my “iCastle” and then lock the gates when they try to get out with their data intact…
I bought an iBook to use for design applications, coding and tinkering. After owning it for 4 months, I sold it, and bought a PC that in my opinion still is twice as fast for the cash.
I don’t like the way that Apple glosses over things when things go wrong. It’s all too sugar-sweet for my liking. “Oh No! The Blue Screen Of Death!!! DIE WINDOZE UZ0RR!!!1!!”,
Nope, there is no BSOD in OSX, instead you’re given “The Beachball”: A hypnotic exercise in user-tolerance.
My windows machine allows me to multitask: I can run PS and Flash at the same time, dashing between the two. I’ve found that on a Mac, PS will run beautifully while Flash is left to rot in the background and vice versae. When I try to switch, there is a delay and that damn Beachball goes off on one.
I like the way that in windows my applications “Just Load”. In OSX I have to put up with bouncing icons.
Even when I try to hide the dock, their little bouncing heads pop up at the bottom the screen, just to tell me that an error has occured or it needs my attention so I can feed it some more iEgo. They can’t “Just Wait”.
A Mac is a computer that does not like to behave like one. Stuff doesn’t “just work”. Stuff tries it’s hardest to show off and much like in the real world, it gets cocky and occassionally falls flat on it’s face.
I would like to comment on the overall smugness of Mac users. I bought my Mac because some “power that be” that I still can’t quite put my finger on, made me “feel” that as a designer I had to get one. Why?
I went into my Graphics class with my new windows machine and was met with looks of disgust. I sat there and had a blast on the HalfLife 2 demo and the Mac users around me sneered and made off-hand comments.
The best moment was when I came to present some work one day. I was in a tutorial and needed to demonstrate an interactive project to my course tutor. I reached into my bag and pulled out Mr Windows Laptop and was asked, in rather a patronising fashion, why I had switched back.
Yes, I made “The Switch”, twice. I ran off with Apple and had a sordid affair. We danced amongst fields of bluebells, laid down in the straw and kissed. Then I realised I had Apple wasn’t quite who I thought she was. I think you can predict where i’m heading so i’ll stop there for common decency.
Yes, studios all over the world spend thousands on Apple products.
Yes, if everyone jumped off a bridge so would they.
Last but not least, I would like to argue that the OSX interface does in fact interfere with my creativity. With Windows I can turn off UI styling and have a monochromatic interface that doesn’t detract from the job in hand. In OSX I have colourful buttons, all so goddamned shiny, shouting at me: “Make it all glassy, go on, just a little bit of glass… or a drop shadow… or a pinstripe”.
Indeed, in Windows I get “Shut up, i’m grey. Get back to work”.
At the risk of sounding like a loony due to the last paragraph i’d like to finish up now and thank you if you’ve read this far. I imagine that if you are a Mac user then you are probably fuming because I am threatening the collective self-esteem of thousands of “Everyday People That Have Made The Switch”.
Please, genuinely do reply to this post and right my wrongs.
I just hope someone else out there has the strength to not be bullied into using a Mac for design work if they don’t want to.
Think Difficult,
Rat

As a graphic design student I am led increasingly more frustrated by the fact that Mac’s “just work”. They don’t.
I really think that it’s a lifestyle thing. Sure, if I want to *just* check my e-mail, browse the web, and run photoshop to touch up a few family photos, that’s fine… but I don’t.
I just love storing my data in protected or otherwise difficult formats. I love how I can let windows users into my “iCastle” and then lock the gates when they try to get out with their data intact…
I bought an iBook to use for design applications, coding and tinkering. After owning it for 4 months, I sold it, and bought a PC that in my opinion still is twice as fast for the cash.
I don’t like the way that Apple glosses over things when things go wrong. It’s all too sugar-sweet for my liking. “Oh No! The Blue Screen Of Death!!! DIE WINDOZE UZ0RR!!!1!!”,
Nope, there is no BSOD in OSX, instead you’re given “The Beachball”: A hypnotic exercise in user-tolerance.
My windows machine allows me to multitask: I can run PS and Flash at the same time, dashing between the two. I’ve found that on a Mac, PS will run beautifully while Flash is left to rot in the background and vice versae. When I try to switch, there is a delay and that damn Beachball goes off on one.
I like the way that in windows my applications “Just Load”. In OSX I have to put up with bouncing icons.
Even when I try to hide the dock, their little bouncing heads pop up at the bottom the screen, just to tell me that an error has occured or it needs my attention so I can feed it some more iEgo. They can’t “Just Wait”.
A Mac is a computer that does not like to behave like one. Stuff doesn’t “just work”. Stuff tries it’s hardest to show off and much like in the real world, it gets cocky and occassionally falls flat on it’s face.
I would like to comment on the overall smugness of Mac users. I bought my Mac because some “power that be” that I still can’t quite put my finger on, made me “feel” that as a designer I had to get one. Why?
I went into my Graphics class with my new windows machine and was met with looks of disgust. I sat there and had a blast on the HalfLife 2 demo and the Mac users around me sneered and made off-hand comments.
The best moment was when I came to present some work one day. I was in a tutorial and needed to demonstrate an interactive project to my course tutor. I reached into my bag and pulled out Mr Windows Laptop and was asked, in rather a patronising fashion, why I had switched back.
Yes, I made “The Switch”, twice. I ran off with Apple and had a sordid affair. We danced amongst fields of bluebells, laid down in the straw and kissed. Then I realised I had Apple wasn’t quite who I thought she was. I think you can predict where i’m heading so i’ll stop there for common decency.
Yes, studios all over the world spend thousands on Apple products.
Yes, if everyone jumped off a bridge so would they.
Last but not least, I would like to argue that the OSX interface does in fact interfere with my creativity. With Windows I can turn off UI styling and have a monochromatic interface that doesn’t detract from the job in hand. In OSX I have colourful buttons, all so goddamned shiny, shouting at me: “Make it all glassy, go on, just a little bit of glass… or a drop shadow… or a pinstripe”.
Indeed, in Windows I get “Shut up, i’m grey. Get back to work”.
At the risk of sounding like a loony due to the last paragraph i’d like to finish up now and thank you if you’ve read this far. I imagine that if you are a Mac user then you are probably fuming because I am threatening the collective self-esteem of thousands of “Everyday People That Have Made The Switch”.
Please, genuinely do reply to this post and right my wrongs.
I just hope someone else out there has the strength to not be bullied into using a Mac for design work if they don’t want to.
Think Difficult,
Rat

Last year I bought an iBook. As a photographer and writer I too was convinced by the propoganda that somehow the Mac was better. That it was faster, more stable, less tinkering more working, etc., etc., ad-f-ing-nauseum. And the day it arrived it was beautiful, in a way. All white like that. Smelled good too. The keyboard is really nice, though kind of clunky. But everything is getting clunky these days. So I installed all my apps…which were terribly slow because it only had 256mb RAM. So I went out and bought more…1GB. And topped it off. It was still slower than my old Vaio with 768MB. In every freakin’ way. But I sold the vaio. I needed the Apple monitor and that color (great color) and all that. Eight months later, frustrated and shaking, I bought a PC again. Not since MS defecated on users with Windows ME had I been so close to “depressive symptoms”. I hate that little iBook. I hate tiger (except for Spotlight whose index is no doubt sniffed every time you go online). Hate it like yes, I want to kill it. If it weren’t for the fact that I can sell it to someone, who actually thinks they can do more with it than with a PC, for at least $500, I’d have someone pitch it to me and I’d hit it with a 34 ounce bat until it was in shards. Or better yet I’d put it on a tether. First, the iBook crashes every freakin’ day! EVERY. Like if I run p-shop sometimes it won’t even launch, just choke right there…then it tells me photoshop had to close. And Bridge would do the same thing. Just fail over nothing. And that beachball…ahhh that f-ing beachball. You just sit there and wait and have no idea what’s going on. No status messages. Nothing. When I was switching back I was transferring email messages from the iBook to the PC and I’d pull a bunch out of Entourage and drop them in a folder on the desktop, and only when I was dealing with very few messages did they all drop in to the folder. Most of the time only a fraction would. And I’d have to do it all over again. Took e hours to complete. Then when I put them on the PC, it took 3 minutes to transfer all 4,000 messages to the proper application. And no mistakes, no re-doing it. It just worked. And also the usb storage device I was using because the mac was having issues recognizing the HD on the USB for some reason (maybe it got up on the wrong side of the bed), the iBook stopped recognizing the thing. Even re-booting didn’t work. So finally I formatted it with the PC and it worked again. The mac didn’t even know it existed…just work, my elbow. Oh here’s a good one…when I bought the mac I had this harddrive from the vaio. A 60GB 5400RPM drive that I love. The iBook came with a 30GB slow as hell drive. So I wanted to upgrade the f-ing thing. Simple, right? Yeah, with a PC. But with the iBook? An iBook has 50 screws in front of the HD. Meaning that you have to take the ENTIRE casing apart…that means the insides too…to get at the HD. Then you’ve also voided the warranty. Or you can bring it to the Apple Store, leave it there with an obnoxious geek and spend a $100. No thanks. I want to work. So I used the 60G drive externally. PROBLEMS! Even files that the mac placed on the drive were oftentimes inaccessible. So I had no way of getting to my pics that I had taken of a certain rockband and had to make up an excuse so that they wouldn’t fire me and I could take pics again. Then one day I hooked the thing to my sister’s PC and I got to those lost files. Why hadn’t I thought of that sooner. Now in my New PC I have a certain 60GB drive running. And I mean aside from the “bluesceen of death” around every corner and all the other crashes (YEAH RIGHT! I have never crashed a PC – yeah, you heard that right…NEVER)… Also when I wanted to watch a DVD on the iBook if I didn’t get every last bit of dust off the disc, the app would crash the entire machine. I’d have to re-boot every time and then try to clean the disc. Sometimes it worked. most of the time it didn’t. So I started ripping the things to the harddrive which solved the dirty thing but it still crashed and I’d have to re-boot. In XP even if it did crash the app, it would never crash the entire OS. And guess what else. I can now work in P-shop, Audacity, Bridge, Premiere, Word, and aftereffects without ever even worrying about a crash. All at the same time. All relatively fast, but in one app at a time it flies. They pop open. p-shop which would take thirty seconds to open the first time now takes 13 seconds. Filters in p-shop that take 70 seconds on the iBook, take 40 seconds. Yeah, and I was so pleased with performance with 512MB that I upped it to 1.25GB. Then I just put in another 1GB. So now it goes thrugh anything. And on a PC you have help for a lot of different things, not just troubleshooting, but how to actually do something. With the mac I had to go online and find all these sites where there were all these mac people asking the same questions I was. No one knew how to erase a CD or oh, get online with the network thing. See with a PC, you insert the disc open the drive and click on erase this CD, that’s all. No searching for some cryptic app, and not multiple volumes if you decide to record individual items in different sessions on a CD. All one session, all one volume when you insert the CD to find you files. No searching through three, five, seven, volumes. So I think that you’e right. Using a Mac is like driving a ferrari…to go to the moon. Sure, there’s some style, but you’ll actually just look good never getting there. er…How do you like them apples?

Hm, it’s strange when people tell me about issues with their Macs… it’s so mind boggling as to why you have so many problems. I’ve been running Macintosh for about 2 years now and i think they are great. I’ve used PC’s for even longer, about 4 years. I used to love tinkering and having to take apart stuff once a month to install something else, or reload my OS, and tinker with TweakUI etc, it was neat.. but now with the Mac i dont have to worry about hardware, it just works. And the OS, it just works also.. Now that i sit back and reflect, once you go Mac (you never go back, first off) but more importantly things change. You don’t have to worry about errors, system crashes, reloading the OS, virus’, spyware ETC, now it’s all about buying new hardware and finding new software to install.
For me, the only thing I can do now is decide what machine i want to buy next. I’ve gone through several and will soon be in the market for a brand new iBook/MacBook or whatever they wanna call it, i prefer a smaller widescreen, we’ll see what they come up with this year.
I like the fact that i don’t have to spend nights reloading the OS and doing updates etc, i sorta actually liked doing that, made me feel like i knew a lot about computers.
Any techie person will some day realize, that if they know a lot about computers, the next computer they buy will be a Macintosh. There’s nothing built with better hardware, better precision, they’re just perfect, in a sense… as perfect as you can get with the best that technology has to offer.
I’ll admit, building PC’s is pretty fun. I’d still love to build myself one, just for the fun of it, but the only problem is that i cant justify spending the money. Sure i’d use it for some first person shooter games (can’t really play those on a console, cant get used to the controller)… but really, that’s about it! I dont want to spend about $1000 just to play counter-strike or something, i just dont see the reason. I think i’ll stick to old cheap PC’s for tinkering with, and loading Windows 95 and DOS games.
I’ll have to stick to Unreal Tournament + mods for my Mac for gaming (when i even have time)

mac are s@it
god example on why macs are s@ it not written by myself fromhttp://www.jsmagic.com/spam/mac_bad.html
* Pricing — Apple’s pricing scheme is outrageous. I could get a PC that’s nearly twice as fast as an iMac for half the price [+]. This, my friend, is why Apple owns less than five percent of the computing market.
* Compatibility — When it comes to software compatibility (especially games), the PC wins, no questions asked. Very few games are compatible with Macs; just ask any hardcore computer gamer. There are many Mac users who have an extra PC for the sole purpose of game playing.
* The Dock Bar — If you’re gonna copy off of the Start Menu, at least do it right. There are several disadvantages to the Dock Bar. Its size, location, and usability problems are just a few. For a complete list of reasons, go here.
* File Backups — XP offers a backup utility so you can select files to back up, and select a destination for the backup. You can back up to external media, you can schedule automatic backups, and you can restore from your backups. With OS X, Apple advises that you pay for a .Mac account to use to back up files.
* Extra Costs — One of the biggest misconceptions made by Mac users is that when you buy a PC, you have to fork over hundreds of extra dollars because “Microsoft makes you buy a bunch of extra stuff.” I find that odd, because I haven’t had to pay a dime extra since I bought my PC, nor have any of my PC using friends. Instead, it’s the other way around; once you’ve paid the thousand some odd dollars for the Mac itself, you have to shell out another thousand or two for the monitor, and if you want “premium services” with .Mac, that’s another $99.00. Did I mention they don’t come with a floppy drive?
* Ease of Use — When it comes to ease of use, Windows XP / 2k tops the charts. Not only does it have a layout that’s easily understood, the OS includes a comprehensive help database to assist you, and programs to help you with everything from networking to CD burning to installing new programs; something that is yet to be seen in OS X.
* Those annoying Switch commercials — ’nuff said
* Support — If your dog eats your hard drive, or you spill coffee on your computer and it some how leaks down and soaks your motherboard, it’s gonna take a while to get that fixed if you’re a Mac user, unless the Apple store is in your backyard. First, you have to find out the 200-letter name of the part you’re missing, call Apple, order the part, and then wait a month for the parts to be delivered. Your computer sits in the corner, useless the entire time. Then, when the piece finally arrives (if it didn’t break during shipping), you have to find out where the piece goes, and then struggle for hours trying to get the piece to fit. If you’re a PC user and this happens, all you have to do is take your machine to the nearest computer shop.
from this page
The misunderstanding arises from the fact PC users actually like defragmenting their hard drives and upgrading their firmware. We enjoy replacing our graphics cards every six months. We love TweakUI! We share a firm belief that our struggle in this world will lead us to heaven. You Mac users, on the other hand, are on your way to hell. A weird, glossy white plastic hell.

I just rejected a chance to buy a mac book pro. I really don’t like the virtual slickness of the mac OS. I have no problem doing everything and anything a mac can do. I think it’s absurd to draw lines between platforms and not make a cross platform solution for the iSoftware on macs. The Mac ads of late are just stupid, and I fear that a majority of mac users spend a majority their time in iChat and Safari, I use every last Ghz my computer is capable of, every last bit of RAM everyday. Macs are great for delusional elitists who have to feel better than some supposed sub-class of computer user who would rather learn how to understand their machines inside and out than be a slave to some RAM heavy GUI that looks “cool”. It never ceases to amaze me how much Mac has taken from the incredibly productive and progressive PC applications and come up with this iSeries (iMovie, iLife, etc.). Except for the very latest technical breakthroughs I’ve been doing way more with my PC than any Mac user I have ever known. My main gripe with the whole Mac thing is that I never push a PC agenda I just create and enjoy with PC, Mac users have to talk crap about PC’s as though they have a concept. If the Mac works for you, that is great … but please shut up about it, get to work and spend some time pursuing life beyond the computer.

I love my Mac I got off of Ebay. (Power Mac G3 OS 8.1 1997 Model)
The only think I dont like is because it don’t play all my games because some are not made for Mac. :(
When I want to play a Windows game, I got to go into my parents room to use thier computer.( I am only 11)
Other than than I still like it because it can play DVDs, be hooked up to a TV or a game, VCR, or DVD console that has white, yellow, and red hook ups. I also can play only a few games on it but I don’t mind.

To me, a computer is a tool… One has to think- “what do I need to do?” and then “what computer do I need to get this done?” For the most part someone could answer the second question with either a mac or a PC. The main difference I think is going to be the price. The pc is going to be cheaper. Yes, you can mess up a pc with spyware and viruses, but my answer to that is to stop downloading porn on limewire. Just don’t do stupid stuff.

why must you argue
this fued will send you all too hell.
Macs are better hardware, but their OS is shit
I personally use a modified Mac/HP with windows vista to do everything and i haven’t had a single problem with it at all

These threads keep me going in the world.
Well done to Apple for bringing out the mighty mouse. Its about time you appreciated that mac users have more than one finger.
We got an intel imac at work, and guess what we did, Installed bootcamp, installed windows XP. Then Never Ever looked at the maC OS ever again.
Lets get this show on the road.
-Software update.
Everytime a software update is done something else stops working.
-The Styling, 10/10 for providing an amazing doorstop “The Imac G5”
-Batteries.
If Apple are so good, Why use sony batteries ? Nothing but problems with Macbook/power book / Ipod Batteries.
-operating systems
Oh God Why o Why. its aimed a retards honestly, No warnings No recommendations nothing helpful at all in fact. Theres no it simply works, . it only works if your lucky.
-printer intallation.
Easy as Pie. So easy That You don’t even realise that its been installed and that its working. (Could be a good thing though)
-Software
In most cases its upto 3x more expensive, and then you have to be lucky that the software even exists.
-Games
What ? World of warcraft YaY ! its for 2 year olds.
-Hardware/Peripherals
if it aint apple dont plug it in
-Upgradability
Not even an option on an apple, its the Memory or nothing.
In a nutshell Theres nothing an Apple Can do that A PC can’t. Not to mention PC’s Acutally work, where as apples do not.
As for Multimedia/Graphic design, see above reasons.
PC’s are better. the sooner all apples and their promoters are in hell burning the better !

Oh mac, it’s a brilliant idea isn’t it.
Marketing:
“Hey I know lets get two middle age guys and pretend they’re computers. Then lets poke fun at all the flaws PC had. 10 WHOLE YEARS AGO.”
Mac Users who, let’s face it, probably AREN’T IN THE KNOW:
There are Viruses for Mac, and no way to get rid of ’em. If you UNLIKELY get a virus for PC you download a FREE (for mac users who would like to know what the word free means look it up in a dictionary as you are hopefully well know that you have to pay for EVERYTHING you want on a mac.) and it is deleted.
“Life” Stuff is impossible on PC: Life stuff is hard to define. My Dad wanted a computer for His “Life stuff” he looked at both brands for a word processor, he chose windows for the ease and cheaper (More reliable, it’s been tested.) Office. For the life stuff mac is talking about. Like Photo editing (0% of professional photo editors use this iPhoto.) should be done with Photoshop, no question. Movie making should not be done with iMovie or final cut pro (if your prepared to shell out for that kind of movie editor, go to a good software stores’ bargin bin, stuff like Magix Movie editor silver edition cost me a grand total of AUS$12 and has all the features of final cut pro. A friend checked, I like to call these friends who check this stuff “Switcher off-ers.”) iDVD takes ages to Render movies. It is the only dvd burner program I know where “Rendering” doesn’t make a difference. Use nero you guys!!
Well, I’ve posted in forums all night and my computer hasn’t crashed. I played with it 2 hours and my MacBook is still in the bin. Goodnight.

I won’t lie. I loved Windows when I had a Windows-based PC. Everything was (fairly) standardized — you could go out to any discount store and purchase software. I played a few games. I did a heck of a lot of word processing. Everything was rather enjoyable. I knew a fair bit about Windows, so when something crashed, I was usually able to figure out the cause. Life was good.
Then I discovered a little operating system called Linux. I downloaded a network install disc of Debian etch and decided to try it alongside Windows for a few months. All I have to say from that experience is that KDE = love.
I discovered Linux around the same time I entered university to pursue a degree in French. (I want to be a translator.) With any modern university comes computer labs, and with any good computer lab comes a few Macintosh computers, so I figured, “What the hell? I’ll try out one of these iMacs and see if it’s any good.” I’d used Macs in elementary school, and it started a fire in me I hadn’t quite been able to put out. And when I tried the newest Macs we have in our labs here (iMac G5), I fell in love with the new OS. When I found out that it was based on open-source technologies (BSD) and featured X11 among its applications, I had to make the switch.
By this time, my old laptop was starting to develop problems, so I weighed my options. Either stick with Microsoft and potentially bear first-hand witness to suffocating digital rights policies determined to take the computer out of my control and put it in Microsoft’s control, buy a Linux laptop for a bit more money but guaranteed Linux compatibility, or buy a Mac. I started perusing various websites to this end, including Dell and Apple, both of whom have purchasing deals with my university. And I started reading up on Mac OS X and Windows Vista. It remains to be seen how Vista will stack up against OS X, but I’m not holding my breath.
On Black Friday of this year, I bought a MacBook. A few days later, my new computer came. Needless to say, I was amazed. The computer itself felt like the very manifestation of quality. And when I booted up, I will admit I would rather like the old-style interface from OS 8 over the annoyingly shiny and memory-chomping Aqua interface in OS X, and I will admit that I would like my Trash bin on my desktop (where it belongs, if you ask me), but I’m not going to pay for small shareware programs to accomplish the same function. I brought over all my favorite open-source programs (Firefox, OpenOffice.org, etc.) and even my favorite operating system (I tried running Ubuntu, a Debian derivative, but determined OS X was better). I even tried running Windows on my newly bought Mac, which worked quite well. But the only reason I’d have kept it on there is for video games that I’m not sure I’d play that often, so Windows came off the ard drive as well. At the end of the day, OS X is all I need. It works. I don’t have to worry about unsavory website authors when I browse the Internet — even if they managed to get some kind of spyware on my computer, I’m running a virus scanner, software firewall, and my Home folder is encrypted, so they’d have to work hard to accomplish their maligned intentions. When you combine things that any intermediate computer user would know to do with a secure core like BSD Unix, you’re going to have a secure, stable OS at the end of the day, no matter what it looks like. I don’t do home movies, or digital photography — all I need is a typewriter, jukebox, Internet viewer, and occasional hacking toy. I can’t think of a better platform (aside from Linux) to use when I start learning how to write programs, and I’m pressed to think of a better platform to use when doing the things any college student does: writing papers, listening to music, browsing the Internet. I do look forward to the day when Adobe releases CS3 (it’s supposed to be a Universal binary, as far as I know), and I do look forward to the day Microsoft releases a Universal version of Office. Hell, I even look forward to the day they release Vista and I get to see someone using it. For all I know, it might just be better than Mac OS X. And it may not be.
Moral: Stop evangelizing operating systems. They’re abstract entities, just ones and zeroes stored on a magnetic disk. They’re tools, just the same as the wrenches and hammers that mechanics and carpenters use. One isn’t inherently better than the other, just the same as a wrench isn’t better than a hammer. As a user of Mac OS X, most of the flavors of Windows, and a few distributions of Linux, I’ve seen what most of the mainstream has to offer, and I’m impressed by all three. I don’t think less of Windows users, and I don’t think less of Linux users — their choice is just that — their choice.

“I buy the best car I can for the money I have from a reputable dealer whose cars work when they’re supposed to work.”
But when your car breaks down, who rips you off? The dealer. (Not to mention that the macs are a tad expensive)

Okay if OSX is so cool and easy to use and what not, what the hell is the reason for the newer macs to be able to run Windows!!!!. I dont know about you guys but I’d rather just use a PC. Its cheaper and faster!!!

I use both. I think they are both great for cetain things. My mac for music production and my pc for games and school work. yes, my mac was expensive as hell but for music producion its worth every penny. My pc i love because am more free to experiment with the hardware. I would say neither is superior. Macs can sometimes be too simple to use. Conflict arises between programs already running and software im using. Windows is sometimes hard to understand and a bit complicated to do things like installation and removal, which only with XP have i found to be easy. (I’ve been on windows since 95 and mac since 2005.) PC user 4 lyfe, The intel macs CAN run windows under Q. The reason they cant run Virtual PC is because Mac has decided not to convert it for intel macs.

to sam above /\ :
What exactly are the advantages of using a mac for audio production specifically? I tinkered around with it before on my PC but nothing major. Yea i was saying i know the intel macs can run windows but i dont see the point. What is the point of buying an expensive as hell mac if ur gonna run windows? I was looking for a graphics upgrade for my friends mac (he does 3-d modeling on one of the few mac 3d programs Cheetah) and i didnt find squat. Yea I found keyboards, mice, monitors and other irrelevant bullshit, but no major components. Needless to say he is now a PC user. He can now use 3ds max among other great programs.
Ok here is the real deal the straight dope:
Mac’s are overrated, overpriced, proprietary bullshit.

Compatibility is the main thing for audio production. In basically every professional music studio you will find a mac. A lot of audio programs are made for mac, then ported to windows. Some things honestly do run better on a mac. Also Logic and Digital Performer are mac only programs and they along with protools are the most powerful programs for Audio/MIDI production. Outside of the digidesign empire, MOTU is the best hardware, and their hardware runs best under their software, although they dont force you to buy it, unlike some other compatnies. The main problem for me personally was running multiple programs on the PC. Audio production.editing software takes up alot of CPU. I had too many things running that i didnt know were even running or that i had started myself. My PC ran four instances of svchost.exe, other random things that come with xp, plus with the virus protection running 24/7. Frankly i really hate xp. OS X doesnt really have these problems, you visually see what programs you have running. Also i can be rendering a song to disk and be working on a different program at the same time, whereas on a pc i would have to wait until it was finished. The way it is set up is almost more creativly inspiring. However, from what i have seen and heard Vista looks pretty cool. I will have to check it out for myself. As for the issue with graphics, I would agree with you. I would much rather rely on a PC for things like gaming and graphics editing. What confuses me is why alot of photographers use mac. I would’nt say macs are overrated. As for overpriced, I compared my MacBook Pro specs with an Alienware of the same specs and it was about 100 dollars cheaper, although were still talking in the $2400-2600 range. Really it comes down to personal preference. I really like the set up of OS X compared to XP. Hardware and software installation is way easier on my mac. But this is still just personal preference. For my needs and likes, OS X is the best fit, for now. Im pretty pumped to use vista.

Oh no, this is what I get when I type in “i hate macs” on my brand new shiny, piece of shit.
You’re in for a world of hurt. Maybe if you have the 300-500 dollar more expensive version of my paperweight (there there shhhh quiet Bessie) (see, I call her Bessie because she is white, complacent, and utterly stupid) which has pinwheeled and crashed more times in my life than any PC in just four months of usage and this is what I saw to every Machead that deigns to say I’m doing something wrong–
I was happier when my PC was crashing because PC users didn’t attack me afterwards.
*saves up for a VAIO, pats Bessie on her side*

So, now that I know what the wonderful experience of using a mac is supposed to be all about, thank-you very much, I will gladly sell it to get myself a PC with microsoft on it. At least I will be able to use it without having to pay for EVERYTHING, like your basic services.

So, now that I know what the wonderful experience of using a mac is supposed to be all about, thank-you very much, I will gladly sell it to get myself a PC with microsoft on it. At least I will be able to use it without having to pay for EVERYTHING, like your basic services. I wasn’t even able to post this as safari cannot find the page…LOL.

Well I didnt really want to respond anymore to this thread since pretty pointless and everyone will still use what they prefer…but, when you said that a Macbook Pro was tha same as an alienware not so sure. I dont think I’ll ever buy a branded or built computer anymore. This is what I built about 3 months ago for

Great article, it’s nice to see a well written argument based in reality, people have been flinging shit on both sides fo the fence for too long.
to ‘lachlan’, of course no one uses iPhoto, Photoshop is optimized for the Mac, iPhoto is for total noobs, or people who don’t want to shell out for good editting.
Also, I hope that everyone hear changes their mind and starts using a PC. PCs are great, and then I won’t have to worry about you developing viruses for my Mac. Seriously, I wish more people stopped using macs!

As someone that works in IT and uses Windows daily at work, I think you really should get you head examined.
I don’t think you really hate mac users. You are just simply jealous and that jealousy manifests as an irrational hatred of people that you have never met before based solely on the fact that they have a mac and you don’t.
You should either get over it and move on or you try out a mac for a while and see how you like it.

As someone that works in IT and has to deal with scags of elitist pricks asking me why I haven’t ‘switched yet’, I’d say his post is rather spot-on. The above poster, in turn, may be well served to dial down the juvenile knee-jerk reactions just a bit.
There is no element of “jealousy” in the article. The issue is not which OS happens to be superior. It is the problem of people’s natural tendancy to want to become mindless advocates of whatever product or corporation happens to make them feel good about themselves. The Mac users’ penchant for championing/worshipping Jobs, his company, his OS, and his MP3 player are a testament to that (from my own personal experience.)
The funny thing is, on the PC side of things, very few people will champion how ‘wonderful’ Microsoft or Dell happens to be. More often than not, they instead focus on their own desire to roll up their sleeves and take control of every single component of that little metal box–It is no small achievment (in my eyes) to be able to select your components, build them, and tweak them to your own exacting specifications. That is something, in my eyes, worth being truly proud of. And that serves as an understandable source of vitriol when being confronted with the derisive compulsion to “switch” from someone who’s only percievable achievment, in turn, was that they had $2000 to blow on a trendily-fabricated close-ended boutique system.

Started out with the first Macs….Great computers but not very compatible with anything…So changed to pC…we had to change quite a few PC’s…Macs are far a better computer in any way…we still have our first

i hate macs: they are just pcs with a shiny cover.
i hate mac users: they are brainless
i hate mac os x: GET LINUX!
GET LINUX, BE FREE! GET LINUX, BE FREE!GET LINUX, BE FREE!GET LINUX, BE FREE!GET LINUX, BE FREE!GET LINUX, BE FREE!GET LINUX, BE FREE!GET LINUX, BE FREE!GET LINUX, BE FREE!GET LINUX, BE FREE!GET LINUX, BE FREE!GET LINUX, BE FREE!GET LINUX, BE FREE!

i loev my mac,
i make sweet love to mine every night, it might run hot but it keeps me warm in bed. pc’s just didnt make love to me in the same way.
LONG LIVE MACS and their soft touch that makes me tingle and melt.

So after reading the interesting article and reading a whole lot of comments, i will still stand by my own formed original opinion.
The reasons why i think a Mac sucks is because:
1. First of all, Mac is more or less the laugh of the IT industry… Sure professionals use Macs… Ever stopped to think about why that is worth mentioning?
Because generally its assumed the IBM standardized PC is used. So why is that? Because no-one in his right mind would choose a Mac over a PC.
Yes in my opinion, Mac users overate their systems, and are stupid as hell because they are loyal to a company that sucks them financially dry.
2. A more factual statement:
Any Mac has inferior hardware. The moment it roles of the production belt, its old. Yes i know, Pre-assembled PC’s also, but those you can upgrade, and if your handy, overclock with software so you dont have to upgrade but do get extra performance.
3. Any MAC software has twice as many bugs as any given top 10 linux distribution or Windows XP, Vista and even Windows 98 SE and 2000. Just because you dont hear or read about those bugs, doesn’t mean they are there. Apple just not tells you about it because nobody is interested in making exploits for them. None the less, the stability of a MAC is nowhere near that of the good old x86 architecture.
4. A friend of mine bought a 1500 EURO MacBook because it looked nice and off course he is doing a graphics study. So after buying this piece of garbage, he had to buy the power cord for another extra 50 Euros as it was not supplied and unique for Apple. So in other words, you buy something that you cant use, while buying my 10th x86 architecture laptop, i received another power cord, while the laptops all where compatible with the same cord/adapter.
Also for that money i could buy a laptop which i myself could configure, be shipped to the Netherlands, a Nintendo Wii and still have some money left to… well wipe my ass when i am out of toilet paper…
So in conclusion these are only the most obvious reasons why not to buy a mac.
Some more reasons:
I just know from personal experience that steve jobs is an asshole and a wannabe-dictator, that alone should also suffice as a reason why not to buy his stolen ideas and crappy stuff.
I really hope Apple dies, as they are lying thiefs and exploit the unknown and brainless unfortunate people among us who actually like Apple.
Now i do hope those who have a mac, realize that i am not just a dumb M$ propaganda believer, i have based this on my own research and experiences.
Also if there is any doubt, i will gladly send you a copy of my officially tested IQ which lies at about 140.
Don’t try to even talk Apple right, thats even worse then the quality of the products itself.
Thanks for reading.

how ridiculous. a few microsoft apologists with their little stories. and you hate mac user?
here’s the bottom line. bill gates et al are theives, convicted in courts of law, over and over and over again. they have not brought one single thing to the table (name one fan boys, just one will do). they have done more to stiffle growth and creativity in the computer world than imaginable. they have driven others out of business, stolen people’s livlihoods by stealing their business, on and on and on. the man you people support once said the web is a fad and microsoft won’t be getting into it. yeah, a real visionary.
so it comes down to this. ethics and morals. you either buy into that amercian business has a separate set of rules or you don’t. if you don’t then you can’t possibly support his company. if you do then your own backyard needs a cleaning.
period.

Come on, people! Wake up! I what way is Mac better for professionals, exactly? Does Photoshop run on Windows? Of course it does. Sure, Macs are glossy and shiny and extremely desireable. But there is a reason why the majority of computer users are PC users.
When something goes wrong with your PC there is, in 9/10 cases, a way to fix it yourself. When your Mac goes fizzle,fizzle, bang, bang, you’re on your own.

I have always used PCs,never let me down once.I have had one DELL for over 5 years,sure its slow as crap now,but it hasn’t broken down once.My new DELL runs anything I need it too.I really wish people would just use their computers and not worry about having the best computer.Its how you use it and thats all that matters,whether it is a Mac or a PC.
I also think that while there are many mac users who buy them because they prefer them,then there are others that buy them because they are whats “in” right now.If next year PCs were “in” those same users would switch back.Its this kind of user that makes both sides of the argument look bad.
So,Mac users,use your macs.
PC users,use your PCs.
And,those of you that follow whats “in”,make up your mind.
We’ll all be better of if we just realize people who like macs will use them,and people that like PCs will use them.

Been there done that, several times. The Mac is just not working, it is expensive, slow, can’t even run 1 percent of the programs I run on a PC, crashes constantly and I really do not like to have to buy new software every time the operating system gets another overhaul or rewrite (again) .

You tweak a PC even a little, and you run the risk of creating system instability, compatibility issues, and getting the “Blue Screen of Death”
You tweak a Mac and it will almost always continue to run smoothly and efficiently.
Macs are a heck of a lot more stable then PC’s ever have been.

What some seem to be missing in all this is that, yes, spyware/adware are plentiful on PCs…but why? BECAUSE EVERYONE USES A PC!! The reason PC’s have issues with viruses/apyware/adware is because they are easy to use, powerful, and plentiful…it only makes sense for malware to target PCs.
When looking for software, guess what you see 99 times out of 100? PC ONLY!! And that is the precise reason assholes target PCs…they can actually run programs…unlike a Mac, which can only run a few Mac produced programs…bow down to Apple as they force you to use I this and I that…
you say, “it just works…I want to be able to just run my computer”…
I say, “I’d like to be able to run my computer and actually expand…I don’t want to have to worry about whether a program I just bought will run on my computer or not”…
PCs…they just work. for real. With everything in the REAL world. not the “I-WORLD”.

Hi, I just wanted to say that, I bought a USED mac for audio /video work. I stress used because that may have been my problem more than the powerbook G4 I bought. So here is the deal. I am going to give Windows another shot. My mac crashed when using logic on a DAILY basis. My 4 year old toshiba NEVER crashes. NEVER! My powerbook now won’t turn on. I treated that thing like a baby. The one thing I do like is that people will shell out good money even on BROKEN macs. That is good news to me because mine will be getting sold for parts and I will get a brand new laptop for half of what I paid for my USED powerbook.
That said I feel as though people are going to use what they are comfortable with regardless. It is just comfortable to know that I am not alone when I say that I feel that macs are overpriced and overhyped. I did like how easy it was for a noob like me to use Imovie. But when it comes to audio, I am not a noob and I was not very impressed with what I got for the money I spent. Oh well go firgure…

Honestly, I don’t see why there are Mac or PC fanboys out there. Each system has an upside and a downside.
Macs are generally aimed at the PC Illiterate. Anyone who knows a thing or two about a PC generally has no problem maintaining one. Viruses? Please, unless the virus actually destroys hardware (fat chance), nothing is lost. Period. The closest a virus has ever come to doing permanent damage is by attacking the boot sector on a hard drive or the BIOS. So, let’s tally it up.
Macs (+):
-Easy to use
-Generally pretty
-Great for design
-Fewer (I use this term sparingly) errors
Macs (-):
-Less compatable (5-10% of the computer market)
-No BSOD…. just a beach ball.
-Very little gaming capability
-Harder to tinker with
PCs(+):
-Generally easier to maintain
-Great technical support, granted you don’t call India.
-Conventional
-Compatable
-Customizable
-Cheaper than the average mac
PCs(-):
-Cryptic BSODs
-More susceptable to viruses
-Original ideas for Windows and DOS were stolen from Xerox and Macintosh in the first place.
Yes, it’s true. Microsoft has done more to rip off mac than mac has ever done to rip off anyone. They though up the GUI. Congrats to them for having the fuzzy-wuzziest GUI ever. However, if Mac is the teacher and Microsoft is the student, the student has definately surpassed the teacher in many major areas.
And sure, Macintosh users are smug. As a certified IT professional, I deal with them a lot, and try to tell them that Windows and MacOS just are two different OS’s. Try them for yourselves, don’t let stupid blogs like this one sway you into buying a PC or a Mac.

The only thing I hate about macs is the ignorant idea that if you own one it immediately makes you more “creative” and I find that absurd. (This idea is generally reinforced in the comment section of these articles.) Frankly, I have seem some bullsh*t designs, writing, etc out of pcs and macs. As for the “i don’t get any viruses” argument, that is just because apple owns basically no share in the market. If I am writing malicious code to exploit, I am going to write it to infect the majority, not the minority. Besides, this is becoming a mute point.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12537279/

Wow, lookat all the pretty comments. :P
I’ve used both OS’s, and I gotta say the hate goes both ways. People need to get a life.
I had an iBook clamshell with OSX. OSX died after a year from some unforgiveable hardware problem I will never understand and now the laptop will only run Hoary Ubuntu, and rather laggy at that. So much for that laptop. (Linux rocks, btw, but it sucks trying to run Linux on a PPC Mac!)
I currently have a Dell Latitude from the 90s running Windows 2000, the most buggy and security vulnerable OS out there. I haven’t gotten a virus. Hello, I have a firewall! :P
I’m looking at the nice new Vista laptops, Acers and Toshiba, (possibly a dell again) and I’m impressed by the design of these laptops. Who says that Windows PCs are pretty? I think they can be. :) Much better than a white bar of soap with a fruit logo on it thanks. My computer actually looks like a computer!
I could use either OS, but thinking about it, I only need Windows to run my programs, I don’t need a lot of flash and bang.

Ok. I’m dying to share what I think about Mac and its products.
Got a chance to use an IPhone of my brother the other day and I have to agree with you that the IPhone offers weak user experience as a phone and as a web browser.
It’s all hype. Though I have to admit at first, like everyone else, I was drawn to it but the only thing admirable about it is the interface and how you glide your fingers to manipulate it. But a cool interface with bells and whistles will never make up for lousy phone features and pathetic web browsing experience. It’s not even 3G. Most mobile phones here in my country (Philippines) are already 3G with full voice call and sms functionaility.
I’ve also tried using 2 of my brother’s Macs and I don’t see any reason for me to switch from a PC to a Mac. I consider myself a power user. I’m advanced in navigating the web and I do a lot of new media design (video, animation, web) but I don’t see that I’ll be more productive with a Mac. It ain’t even fun since it can’t run any worthy games.
My brothers have crashed their Macs and Iphone more than once in the last few months while my trusty 4 year old desktop PC and laptop have never crashed or needing any re-installation. Well my desktop needed once because of an OS upgrade.
Speaking of Mac crashes, why is it that the average user cannot re-install the OS and would require a wiz to do it for them. I could reinstall, tweak, upgrade and debug a PC with my eyes closed.
Note: I have nothing against Mac lovers and I still like the IPod, Steve Jobs (hip and cool CEO), Mac’s zen aesthetics, and even Mac’s marketing style.

Hooray for beating a dead horse :) I’m well aware that even commenting on a topic like this probaly means that I’m contributing to some type of ‘flame war’, but I’ll try to be fair.
The title of this article is what I’ve been telling people for a long time.
Here’s the thing… I really want to like Macs! But I’m afraid of being grouped in along with all the other mindless Mac users. One of my best friends is a devout Mac-user. He converted during high school and hasn’t turned back. Unfortunately, he finds it necessary to make snotty remarks whenever I mention anything regarding Microsoft, or even things that simply arn’t Apple (like alternative MP3 players, etc.). I mentioned that my laptop had Vista on it (which, sure, is not the greatest OS in the history of man. But it’s also not BAD, and certainly not as bad as most people like to suggest, many of whom probably have never even touched it) and he responded with “Eww!”. I love him to death, but I’m not going to lie – this drives me crazy. It’s cool though, I can definately look past it and it doesn’t actually bother me too often.
However, whenever I look at a forum thread, or blog entry, etc. regarding some type of Mac Vs PC issue, there’s ALWAYS a flame war in the comments/replies between the Mac users and PC users. It usually ends up like this:
PC User:
I’ve used PCs for years and when I used a Mac once it crashed!
Mac User:
I’ve used Macs for years and when I used a PC it crashed!
But another thing I tend to notice is that PC users will attack Mac users’ intelligence, based on what is actually a pretty legitimate reason: Mac users at least APPEAR to subscribe to Apple/Mac/iPod/etc. hype and shell out more cash for their stuff for seemingly no real substantive reason. To me, this is silly. What the PC users are not typically saying is, “Man, look at those professionals that can spend a lot of money on their stuff and want a good, quality system. They should buy a Dell.” (Point being – if you’re a pro, you may have good reasons for wanting very top-of-the-line stuff). They ARE saying, “Look at that wannabe hipster who spends 12 hours out of every 24 at Starbucks, using his MacBook to surf the web over subscription Wi-Fi (to my knowledge, Starbucks wi-fi isn’t free), drinking overpriced (albeit tasty) coffee…” I mean, sure if that’s what you wanna do, if that makes you feel good, if you get to feel better than the average PC user because of your apparently rosy financial status… that’s spectacular. Great for you. But don’t call PC users stupid because they don’t subscribe to that BS!
I am pretty sure that most PC power users just either use whatever OS came on their PCs, or Linux, or they pirate whatever preferred version of Windows they prefer. Then they outfit their PC with whatever parts they want. Parts for PCs are not nearly as marked up as Mac parts are. It seems like customizable parts options on a Mac Pro tower, for example, are almost or more than twice as much as they should be. If you want to spend twice as much money on the same damn stuff, then don’t go calling US stupid!
Anyway, I DO want to like Macs. In fact, I think I’m still going to buy an iMac at some point because of the form factor; it’s nice and compact. But for anything else, like, say, a gaming or music PC, it’s going to be PC all the way. Maybe I’m nuts but the only music software I actually like is PC exclusive. And don’t go on telling me about anyh of that Garageband or Logic bullshit. I know what I like, and it’s not that! In fact, if I HAD a Mac, I’d spend most of my time in Windows via Parallells or Bootcamp so that I could use my Windows-exclusive software over whatever I’d has to use in OS X!
Geez, just talking about Macs makes me angry. I fail to understand what their true appeal is, at least besides being ‘cool’ and ‘trendy’ and ‘pretty’. Don’t even play the virus card. If I had any significant problems, I think I’d maybe feel more compelled to switch, but for some reason I doubt that I’d be all that much more satisfied.

I should note that I, for the purposes of comparison, looked at Mac Mini specs on Apple.com. I then went to HP.com and looked at a similarly-priced machine ($800).
The $800 HP tower was better (spec wise), in pretty much EVERY single way, in most cases by a very wide margin. With the exception of people who require an extremely small-form-factor PC, anybody who can look at those two and pick the Mac Mini either has REALLY specific needs (and how those needs are served better by the Mac Mini, I’m not certain) or a huge defeciency of some.. sort. Maybe they have, as the adage says, lots of dollars and no cents(sense)?
Meh. People keep telling me how awesome their Mac machines are… but the specs are average or par compared to the typical budget tower you could get from anywhere else.
Which means that there are only a few (possible) advantages to owning the Mac:
Form factor – this is actually a legitimate point, and possibly why I may be considering an iMac.
High upper configuration threshold on the Mac Pro – these towers can be configured very nicely…. at an insane price, I might add.
Good support – I’ve heard that Mac users get good support (that they pay quite a bit for). No first hand experience with this on my end.
‘Closed System’ – Apple ‘makes’ the PC (sortof, it’s not like they really ‘make’ anything except for the case and accessories) and the OS, so it’s all, y’know, tied in nicely. As they say, it ‘just works’ (

I have presented myself an ultimatum: choose a new computer, for college life and beyond. While money is no obstacle (affluent family), I just did my homework, and determined that since my parents are going to give me the {{{{{$30,000}}}}} (I see no possible way the everyman could every pay for that) with which I would have bought a MacPro, I can purchase a skeleton and across-the-board superior internals on the internet. Internaut and spendthrift that I am (though a child could achieve this wide goal), it can probably on one third of the funds.
There is no doubt in my mind that PC’s is the most economical and powerful system of the two, and I urge any and all serious computors to simply, pardon the urbane expression, “do the math”. (no pun intended).
There is no offense intended to the Mac community, or anyone interested in partaking in the cult-like followings of Steven Jobs that are so abundant in locations of culture, but if you require performance, do not look for it as if it were intrinsic to anything. Rather, you should modify something as you see fit, something that is very nearly impossible on a Mac. this is the most crucial factor, and it is upon this that computer choice should be made.
Audaces Juvo,
Clarior Hinc Honos,
Sapienter Si Sincere.

I enjoyed your article … funny! .. I’m one of those Mac cheerleaders you “hate.” Regarding Mac users being the elitists and PC users are the proletariat, however, it’s the other way around.Many PC users fail to realize that much of our “hatred” for PC users stems from the fact that “you” feed the monstrous monopoly of Bill Gates … Mac users are the rebellious underclass calling for revolution.

i first got my mac and loved it
then i bought final cut express and now my mac sux!!
it is so slow and a cannot make a video unless i have like 10 hours
to watch it render and just be slow and have stupid pinwheel majig spin around whenever I try to do anything with my videos!
FINAL CUT SUX
MACS WOULD BE AWESOME IF THEY WERE FASTER

You generalize with your article. There are not two users, the ones why a Dell and the ones who tweak all year, the 3rd one is me, the one who builds a computer and then leaves it the way it is until a new upgrade is really needed. That’s how Mac users get the wrong picture about PC users. I make a PC, it has to be optimized for graphics, because that’s my hobby, I run a 3.4 million visitors we site, made $23,000 extra in a year time and I do this all on a….PC. So stop spreading the fud as if there are only two users, not all of us are tweaking all year…sigh.
I made the switch to Vista 64 bit, needed another motherboard to support 8GB of Ram, again a reason to upgrade. Unlike you I stop after that, I have what I need. You continue to tweak and tweak and you know for what? Games, 99% of all users who continue to tweak do this for games and nothing else.
My system can’t handle it aymore? OK, then I overclock (you can easily gain 25% extra performance on a core2duo with nothing but two bios changes). Need more? Take out the core2duo and place a quad or buy a faster core2duo. We’re not going to bloody tweak all day, now you give Mac users the wrong impression!
Since when are Macs easier to use or technically better? They make their own hardware for Pete’s sake. What’s technically more advanced; an OS that supports more hard- and software than anything else in the world or a dedicated hardware system with a limit amount of applications and no serious support for gaming, still a super fast growing billion dollar industry. A PC users wants another motherboard? No problem? You want to look unique, get a case that few people have? Go ahead. You want it in any size, shape or color? No problem, search and you will fine, there are some unique small stylish designs that even make the most notorious Mac fanboy envy. You want to use 4 quad processors? Go ahead, it’s technically possible. PCs are in any form and shape and Windows runs on all kind of machines, bug and small, from huge machines, servers, to laptops, tablets, pda, phones, you name it.
Sure, it has it’s downsides, but in my view (and 90% of the rest of the world) there are positives than negatives about either using a PC or using Window for that matter.

Great article! Mac fans are just mindless drones with no personality who derive their sense of self worth through their (misplaced) loyalty to a corporation dedicated to sucking them dry financially….
I’m at uni and my room mate is a Mac user….apparently she’s a geek but all she does all day is play WOW and basically can’t do even the most basic stuff a PC user can; on the other hand, her trendy, aspirational product has a shiny (and in my opinion annoying) GUI that she can harp on about ad nauseatum. Oh she also pays a wad for the priviledge of using a .mac email address – how dumb is that, especially when considering some of the best email services out there are free.
Go on Mac users, keep worshiping Jobsie, after all he needs a way to pay for that Gulfstream of his… and yes, you’re all terminally trendy, creative, hip types LOL!

just as a thought, try googling “mac errors” vs. “pc errors”
I got 295,000 hits for “mac errors”
and 2,930,000 hits for “pc errors”
perhaps the fact that “pc errors” got 10 times the hits is quite interesting.
don’t get me wrong, i am adept at using PCs/Macs/Linux boxes all alike, but any experienced computer user would prefer the Mac.
Also, mac users aren’t loyal to people or corporations, if anything were loyal to superior quality in computing (both hardware and software). My loyalties are to what works: .mac email works, but so does gmail (i use gmail); the OS works, but windows does too (i have them running dual boot).
The Mac vs. PC fued continues to drive computer users worldwide apart; the hatred reminds me of the console wars, some politic goings on that i would like to avoid discussing. The hatred stems from blindly misunderstanding the other side, and this misunderstanding leads to hatred.
“The first reaction to truth is hatred” -Tertullian quotes
I couldn’t resist placing the quote :P

In refrence to the post by
Posted by: Maska-VeCo at June 6, 2008 5:52 AM
it might simply be the more pc users are willing to discuss and fix problems with pc’s and there are more support groups there to help out. While mac users inherintly stick to the concept “Mac’s don’t have problems” so when the time comes that they do have a problem there is not as much spport tech notes or information available to help out.
You also have to factor in the idiot quotiant.
Windows while it tries to deal with people who do not know what they are doing also still trys to supply a large amount of power and customisability into the OS. This however leads to a large amount of idiots screwing up the OS becouse they did somthing wrong and then blaming it on Windows. While on the Mac you Can’t screw it up becouse you have next to no power and next to no customisability.
Hence why you get less hits for mac errors.
Personaly as i have half a brain i like having the aditionaly power that windows / Linux gives me and when i do cause an error by doing somthing stupid i fix the problam rather than screaming mac is better and going and buying what i consider to be a giant white plastic paper wheight

I bought an iMac. I was pretty excited about using this amazing computer that was going to work right out of the box with no issues at all! I had been using Windows XP but my machine took a nasty power hit and I was left with a lump of nothing.
So I figured I would take the Mac plunge. Once I talked myself into spending way too much money on the iMac I placed the order.
The machine came in and I plugged it all up. The setup was a smooth as any other OS and then I got into the “Mac experience”.
The software update kicked off and i watched it do it’s happy little thing. And then a little spinning thing came up. And that little happy colored spinny thing stayed there. And it never went away. So I had to force a reboot.
Yay! Back in the game! Let’s get that update… FREEZE! But Macs don’t freeze! Ever! They just work! After a few reboots I got the updates done. I installed the Office 2008 for Mac I bought and then tried to use it. Hello happy spinny wheel! FREEZE!
So I hit some Apple forums to see what may be wrong. You know what I found out? I am a stoopid head and don’t know how to use computers. I am making it freeze through me stupidity! Well, that explains a lot of things in my life then.
Someone finally gets through the flames and tells me to try an Apple store since it sounds like the hardware might be bad. So I pack up the little machine and head off to the Apple store that is about 50 miles away. You know what I found out at the store? I am stoopid head! I clearly did something to that computer to hurt it. I get the dude to look at it after he bitches at me for about 30 minutes and he informs me the hardware is fine and that he could fix it and I shouldn’t be messing with the computer.
So happy Apply guy plugs it into what looks like an external HDD and I get a nice fresh install. The updates go without a problem and I am excited that my over priced hunk of crap is going to work now!
Dude tells me not to go messing with it again and I tell him all I will install is Office 2k8 for Mac. He tells me that is what is causing my problems and that I shouldn’t do that. Now i ordered my horrible Office product from the Apple store. It is for the Mac. Shouldn’t it “Just work” also? He tells me I should use Neo Office instead.
So I get back home and get the machine in place. I get on the intarwhebs and FREEZE! After about 5 or 6 more freezes I get Neo Office installed. And then it hits me! I have had this machine for two days now. I have been able to use it for about 30 minutes in total. JUST WORKS!
So I say screw it! I take the Mac and throw in my Windows Vista DVD I got from my wife. I heard horrible things about Vista and just decided to stick with XP since I was good with it. Anyway, I wipe the HDD and do a complete install of only Vista. I setup the machine and do my updates. I install my older Office since my 2k8 is for my Mac that works just soooooo well!
No freezes. It runs great! The OS is a little unfamiliar but I am getting better at moving around in it. But the big, super, amazing thing is… Vista is just working! LOL! How freakin funny is that. I wanted to make the switch and the iMac drove me into Vista. That’s just weird.

“Personally, I love the fact that I don’t ever have to worry about the gritty innards of my machine, it just works. My 6 year old iMac DV 400mhz still chugs along fine (I did upgrade the HD & Ram).”
Check out the Mac loyalist, regurgitating lines directly from Apples marketing campaign. Oh propaganda, what have you done..

Here is the story:
Windows users are happy and comfortable with Windows.
OS X users really love their operating system.
OS X user take every chance to show off their features, in a way how a big dog loves to lick his thing in front of everybody else.
Windows users love to defend it like a guy who is defending his 4” thing, which he makes into 8” by adding 3rd party apps.
So please move on.

I hat macs. I always will,(Dealt with it when I was a Kid(1980)) because I am not a kid. Macs are like like your teacher. I started out on a Mac. The worst computer I have ever seen. Worst then DOS. I will never deal with that again.
Rob

Blue screen of death? I see that mentioned, but I can’t recall the last time I saw one. My PC DOES just work. I don’t get viruses because I know better. Is the argument that “Macs work better for morons”? Sure any system that is fully proprietary works better for morons. You just can’t do as much with them. Lets not forget how lousy Apple’s software selection is. Don’t mention apple’s own software. It is pretty crappy. (Yes I’ve used macs) Sure I have to defrag the hard drive once in a while, but if I were an auto owner, wouldn’t I have to get the oil changed once in a while too? I’d be more worried about a system where I DIDN’T have to degrag the hard drive from time to time. And no generally I don’t pay much to microsoft. There are ways many of us use their products for free.. As for mac hardware vs pc hardware, generally mac hardware is the same as pc hardware except less modular… less expandable and upgradable. Apple is using intel chips now you must remember. Sure the mac pro uses xeons instead of core 2 duos, but anyone can build a PC with xeons, it just costs more than using core 2 processors. So lets see, what does this leave us with… “Microsoft stole the idea of a gui from apple” Yeah and Apple got the idea from Xerox. Are we talking about a legal or moral question? Morally, no ones creativity was stolen except xerox. Legally well… Has apple even tried suing based on an abstract concept being “stolen from them”? And as for the argument that “all professional recording studios use macs” I have to ask which professional recording studios? Because a fair number I’ve seen use PC’s.

I forgot to mention… As for revolution, real revolutionaries do things themselves. They make things themselves, they learn things themselves… They don’t talk about revolution while staying dependant on what steve jobs decides to offer. PC users are not dependant on gates and crew. We have other options. If you must talk about revolution, don’t apply the topic to why you use a mac. It is sad if you do not see the irony there.

I just love the way all the mac users that have commented and basically confirmed what you said in the article. Instantly jumping to apples defence like total morons, “Oh no but macs can do this this and this”, fact is kids, Mac got there last, Mac also stole an entire edition of Unix to do it. Mac as a company is just as underhanded as Microsoft (which is getting more chilled of late), the people they have ripped of for all the mac fanboys to be super impressed is in itsself impressive.but thats all I have to say. if you ever get bored and wanna check out my site feel free, there are plenty of “mac is crap lollololololololol” articles on there.

I have used both, this is a tired debate
if someone would prefer not to read a book and just catch the day time television rendition then so be it.
I dont care if mac users dont like pc, at all, someone needs to keep the mac employees (many of which are american) employed, don’t buy pc parts, i dont mind and neither should anyone in this forum.
this is as trivial as arguing over music.

I love the fact that with a PC you and not just the manufacturer are capable of customizing your machine to your liking, there’s nothing like the feeling you get right after you first power up a machine you just built.
Problems ? viruses ? crashes ? Of course they happen, but they get fixed, and ohh how I also love knowing that I can fix my own pc problems.
There really is no need to modify/customize a PC to be honest, it’s just knowing that I CAN that drives me to do everything I do to it and to take care of it the way I do.
I’ve never owned a Mac and I don’t know anyone that uses one, so I won’t pretend to know what areas it excels in and what areas it sucks ass in, and I think that it’s only fair for any Mac user out there that’s never owned a PC to quit bashing PC and PC users because I’m sure that quite a number of them have never owned a PC, they’ve just “heard” how much it sucks.
So if you don’t like a Mac or a PC be an adult and STFU about it, no need to bash one another :)

General questions:
Windows users hate MAC *users*.
Mac users hate Windows.
Do Mac users love their computers? Yes.
Do Windows users love their computers? answer.
Why do Windows users get so annoyed at satisfied Mac users?
I’m a Mac user and don’t give a s… about Windows users and what they think. Want to stick to PC? Whatever, really. :-)
See what I mean?

By the way, thanks for calling me brainless. I am! I want to employ my brain in what I’m doing – writing, editing, reading etc – without having to think about what the damn computer is doing. It does its job while I do mine.

I learned most everything I know about computers from 7th grade thru college using PCs… I had a PC until I was 24. I was introduced to Macs in college when I was editing my films on Avid and Final Cut pro. I truly fell in love with Final Cut Pro… Final Cut Pro made me switch to Mac. I’ve never looked back since….
PC marketshare has no where to go but DOWN… Mac marketshare has no where to go but up…
Apple is even getting serious about GAMING with the IPHONE… The thousands of IPHONE games are going to convert a lot of kids to mac… That with the IPOD/ITUNES connection… You will see huge marketshare gains in the next 10 years… Gains are already happening… But Apple’s foray into the gaming world was holding them back until now…
I’d invest as much money as you can in Apple and retire early…

Funny discussion…this should go on forever!
PC geeks, you know who you are, tweaking and building
and since you are geeks, your mother, neighbour and grandmother calls you up in the middle of the night because ‘you know computers’ and have to help them out…
Consider 90 percent of computerusers Windows people but actually 1 percent of the geeks have to help the rest!!!haha! and that’s you! of course you hate Mac AND your mother, neighbour and grandmother
Mac is nice and easy, and the majority of Mac-users don’t know shit about computers… they don’t have to, most of the time.
and if…there are some MacGeeks too (iGeeks)
Since the Mac is way to expensive they’re used by pro’s and richkids.

I haven’t had much experiences with MACs except for my boyfriend’s classy white imac. I don’t hate nor dislike the thing, the point I want to make is that if you know how to use a PC or a MAC you’ll do what you need and want to do. I would never buy a MAC before reading a few instruction books, and I guess that’s what most users need to do before buying a new computer with a new operational system.
I consider myself a fairly advanced PC user. I can disassemble the whole thing and put it back together. And on the software side, I can mess with XP, Vista, 7 and some linux distributions to make them work to their best.
Does an everyday user need to know these things? The answer is no. I’m a writer and a student. I use my XP PC laptop for these two reasons mostly, and a few others most users don’t even think of.
Most of my software is free. From video, audio and graphics production to conversion, to DVD ripping, burning, file sharing… My other VAIO VISTA laptop is connected to my HDTV at all times and it is my Media Center for the house. Music, Videos, DVDS, BluRays, Pictures, TV, Radio… all from it to the TV and speakers, and to the rest of the house. It’s never given me trouble. Not one virus or one spyware. It runs a version of Avast Antivirus, and Spybot. And they both were free.
I don’t think there’s a better or worse system. PCs are open to customization, but not everyone is up for that. MACs have the “it just works” brand name, but a lot of MAC users seem to disagree with that also. Personally, I’ll go with PCs. They do all that macs do and for a much lower price. Switching to a MAC just to use a visualization solution to get windows back is simply nonsensical. For now, and for the next couple of years, I’ll stick with PCs.

MAC users are far to cleeky.
I have been building machines for years that would blow MAC custom machines out the water.
I chose to build my own machines just as a Mod my own cars and anything else, everything will be changed to the way i would like it and refuse to rub that in other peoples faces but a simple app on a Iphone or a Widget is enough to make a simple minded MAC user rave about the greatness of the OS.
Simply put MAC hardware is as bog standard as a Del computers. The OSX is nothing more than a polished collection of bought programs running on a done up FreeBSD system. I’m unsure if the new NeXT system it uses is even designed by Mac developers.

Last year I thought about purchasing a mac, but when I looked at the spec and compared this to a PC it was going to cost me 400 – 500GBP more. So why are Mac prices over inflated?
I am now currently using Ubuntu Linux and feel that I get what Mac users get in the way of stability and a nice looking GUI, so I am looking to any Mac owners to explain to me why Mac’s are more expensive?

I say, I say boy… all these comments are a waste of your time.
To get to my comment you probably just wasted at least half and hour of your time or more, am I right? Who writes the f**kin’ paragraphs to tell their life story? Keep it short numbnuts!!!
Talk about something that actually matters in the world instead of this S**T. They are a totally different experience so it really just comes down to a matter of taste.
FTW and everybody’s sh*tty comments!!!

I’m one of the quiet Mac users, the ones who will use their laptop in public not to show off that it’s a Mac, but to actually get their work done (I’m hoping to get into university next year, meaning I need a lot of different things for my portfolio).
I hate it when you have that 30 year old office guy in a suit pretending he knows jack about computers just because he’s got a mac on his lap.
I have a mac, I like it, I do admit I tell people it’s good points, I know I have gripes with it just like I did with the other operating systems I’ve used, and unlike most, I learnt most of the things I know about computers while in the possession of this mac (and implemented them to fix my old pc).
I have a friend who waxes lyrical that he hates Macs, to which I don’t bother to argue, because he’s never used one…
It’s all up to how you treat the OS, your preferences, expectations and patience whether it will work for you.
There are people here moaning that their apps won’t launch or ‘beachball’. I rarely have this problem, because I don’t expect my machine to run something above its level. Chances are, these people are trying to run high end apps on a basic machine which isn’t designed for that intense work.
As said earlier by other wise people:
If you like Macs, use them. If you like Windows computers, use them. If you like Linux computers, use them. Just don’t be elitist about one, and for the love of humanity…PLAY NICELY, children!

I don’t understand how either group can bash the other without using any real facts.
you have the PC guys bashing macs for so many reasons that don’t make any sense and are based on little to no truth.
and then you got the elitist Mac users saying that every PC on the planet has 5,000 or so viruses and can’t do artistic things. if I had the knowledge and the ability and made my own OS, I bet 9 outta 10 people would hate it because it wasn’t the right color. Regardless of what I think: people like Foghorn leghorn are the instigators of all the hate. they are the real problem not the companies.

Zeiram you are right. I am an instigator of hate. That was my story and I am sticking to it, everybody quit wasting time on these things. Nothing good can come out of any of this. Everyone stop and think before you type.

I loath apple, I loath it’s pretentious self congratulatory preening, I loathe Mac users undeserved sense of superiority. Before you ask me (well have you ever used one) well yes sherlock I have.
An executive decision was made to switch us over, and I have hated it ever since, I work on it 8 hours a day 5 days a week, and I hate every single second
I am tired of having a finder window open at the “bottom” of a pile of windows when I have just executed the action calling for that.
I am tired on having windows on the dock move places simply because I have “maximized” ( I have that word in quotation marks because you cant truly maximize a window you can only get the biggest window mac thinks is good for the app) and then minimized it again.
I am tired of having to click the mouse and then choose to “move to trash” rather than just hit the delete button.
I am tired of the only customization being available is what my mouse clicks will do
And Thats just scratching the surface
Mac your graphic user interface is not beautiful it’s ugly (but this iralize is JUST TASTE)
Macbook your design is not simple and cool it’s boring and passe (Again JUST TASTE) that brushed aluminum might have been cool with the inception of Itunes (which is terrible to use – synch my content…really…what is this 2006…drag and drop sooo much simpler) but no it’s boring and irritating when your watch keeps scratching it, and the sharp edges give me wrist rash.
Maybe windows user had to worry about drivers with XP but with Windows 7 (which can run things as Vista or Xp) that is much less an issue. Something either is made to work with a mac or it wont period,and there are lots of good peripherals that wont work with Mac (orders of magnitude) than will.
Windows users dont have to go into the guts of the machine and customize to their hearts content…but they can if they want to…Mac forget that if you want to pop in a bigger heard drive or more RAM on your Macbook pro prepare to hit some walls my friend. And dont even get me started if you should decide to change the battery due to a fault or a declining performance (thats what those expensive trips to the Mac store are for so you can keep paying Steve Jobs even after you’ve bought the computer.
I hate mac and I work on one, I love PC and I work (personal work) and play one one. PC gets my money over Mac any day, and considering the price difference between the two there will be a lot less money left in my pocket for the same performance.

Seriously did this person miss the point…
Would you still buy a car it “worked” like a PC?
Posted by: emaw_kc at January 24, 2006 6:36 PM
The car still works great and I can get it from a reputable dealer… but if I want I can turn it into a hot-rod is the point here…
As in the PC can be built with each individual part being under warranty from a reputable dealer. You are comparing us the mechanics of the computer world to the 90 year old grandma… no comparison. Thats why they makes macs for the idiots of the world. I love macs used to own one, but I use windows cause work demands it, linux because it allows me freedom… and mac not anymore because I’ve grown out of having a use. I have nothing against macs they are great machines…. But its people that demean the rest of us because you don’t know wth you are talking about that ticks us off to hate mac users.

I do love this argument. It never fails to get me all hyped up. I’m gonna have to come down hard on the side of the PC but i’m gonna try to cut through some of the pointless crap that has been argued back and forward.
PC users do not hate mac out of jealousy. There is nothing to be jealous of. Mac are demonstrably more expensive and built from the exact same components that you get in any standard PC.
It is understandable however that MAC users would make that assumption because they paid through the nose to get them. And there must be some reason for the expense? well frankly no there isn’t. It, in itself, is a marketing ploy. Expensive = premium is not always the case but that’s what apple want you to think.
I’m a freelance software developer so I’m in and out of many big agencies and there is nothing that causes me more grief than when I walk in to a new contract with my £500 dell laptop ready to work and they insist that I use a mac instead. So I think I’m in a good position to comment on both systems.
There are NO programs that run better on a mac than a PC. I’ve tried Flash PS Illustrator, In Design , Dreamweaver and every version of every browser on both. It’s fair to say that it’s no better on PC either but once again we didn’t pay through the nose for the privilege. It’s all emperors new clothes my friends. If you look hard enough for something you will find it. If you look for an increase in speed you will see it. The people who tend to be more objective quite frankly are people like myself. Who haven’t forked out any money to use a Mac. When presented with a clear option between the two won’t be around long enough at any one job to have to put up with the sneers of designers and other creative types ( who put simply only use 2 programs and have absolutely no idea about doing anything else with their comps ) for deciding to stick with a PC.
So leaving aside the ridiculous price difference why do I hate macs so much. I have been using machines of all shapes and sizes for the better part of 20 years. Over that time you build up an affinity with the people who design software. You come to understand what the most likely place for the file menu is in a new programme, how you delete things and where to go to change system settings. OSX has taken these conventions and thrown them all away. This is where I think the real argument comes in between the two groups. If you had never used anything but a mac i’m sure this system would seem intuitive to you because you’ve never known anything else.
But why did they make it different? it’s definitely not any better. and In many every day tasks it’s utterly infuriating. I like to work from the desktop a lot. So where is my show the desktop button? I asked the mac users how they got to the desktop and they said they just hit f11 ( or something I can’t remember now ). So I tried this. nothing happened. then they said I had to change a setting in the settings panel. Which I did. Now when I hit f11 everything minimized but as soon as I clicked on anything on the desktop it all came back again. Finally I minimized every window by hand to get to the desktop but now I’ve lost all my subwindows. Only the main window for each programme is in the dock which keeps jumping up at me whenever I get within half a mile of the bottom of the screen. And don’t even get me started on hot corners.
Thats just one small example but mac users I know that you may be used to this and have another way around it. But why change it at all? it worked perfectly well before.
When i’m driving my car I turn the wheel to the left to turn left and right to turn right. We COULD swap it round if we wanted to. And i’m sure i’d figure it out eventually. But it worked fine before so why would I bother?
I needed to vent some of that but the it boils down to you get used to one operating system and that’s fair enough. Things do not run better on either. They both crash. Neither is better built. HOWEVER, one is a third of the price of the other and is more compatible with frankly everything.
So THAT mac users is why we get so annoyed. Because we’re trying to help you to understand. firstly that you’re being duped and secondly that it forces the rest of us to clean up the steaming pile of mac on the floor after the design executive types have decided that they want to spend half your IT budget on something that’s no better just because it smiled at them with big glossy lips. let me restate it just to make myself clear.
YOUR MAC IS NOT BETTER BUILT , FASTER OR EASIER TO USE. IT DOES NOT CRASH LESS OFTEN. IT IS NOT BETTER FOR RUNNING CERTAIN PROGRAMMES. IT IS EXPENSIVE FOR NO REASON. IT DOES CAUSE COMPUTER TECHNICIANS GRIEF. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY JUST BECAUSE IT’S PRETTY AND THEY TELL YOU ITS BETTER.
I hope this has been helpful and has infuriated many of you :)

PS i’m happy to report that I just spent £478 on the components for my PC and built it myself. Then I checked on the mac website to see how much the same spec would cost me and…..
£3,419.02 incl. VAT
And I gave them the benefit of the doubt on a few things that I could match exactly so it probably would have been more.

I finally broke down and bought an IMac and I love it. What I don’t love is the apparent community of Mac users that seem to all be ( I said seem) a bunch of hippy, hybrid drivers that walk around smelling their own farts. I own PC’s and now the IMac. I see what Mac is better. I don’t see why it costs more than my mortgage considering the internals are the same as in my PC. Other than the OS, which I think is better than MS, there is nothing in this computer that is worth 3 times the PC price. I wouldn’t care about that much though,if I didn’t feel that in order to own my IMac, I have to start being an asshole and let my hair grow out and tell everybody I’m an artist. That and the whole “don’t ask, just let it do it for you” mentality just makes me want to crap bricks. Seriously? They’re computers, both have their ups and downs, there’s really no need to go to war over either of them. Now all you Mac users that are invariably going to smart off, just piss off from the start because I didn’t write this for you.

I’ve never owned a Mac, but I’ve used the one’s at my school’s computer department. After trying to find the programs installed on it using the start menu for a while, I gave up. When I tried to maximise a window double clicking the title bar, it minimised instead. When I clicked the maximise button, it sort of…became longer but certainly did not maximise.
I thought these Macs were supposed to be user-friendly. Even Linux is easier to use!